In Passing

Los Angeles

Michael Kidd, choreographer

Michael Kidd, the choreographer with a gift for inventive yet realistic movement who created some of Broadway’s and Hollywood’s most memorable dance sequences, particularly in a string of 1950s hits that include the stage musical “Guys and Dolls” and the movie “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” died Dec. 23 at his Los Angeles home. He was 92.

The cause was cancer, said his nephew, Robert Greenwald.

On Broadway, Kidd’s robust style brought him five Tony awards: “Finian’s Rainbrow” (1947), “Guys and Dolls” (1951), “Can-Can” (1954), “Li’l Abner” (1957) and “Destry Rides Again” (1960).

In Hollywood, he often masterminded numbers that were remembered long after the films themselves were forgotten. He created a magical dance through Central Park by Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse in “The Band Wagon” (1953) and the inspired lunacy of Danny Kaye’s escape into a Russian ballet in “Knock on Wood” (1954).

The pinnacle of his film career was the exuberant barn-raising dance for “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” (1954), in which he employed top ballet dancers to play wood-chopping country bumpkins in search of mates.

Chicago

Edward Brennan, former Sears CEO

Edward Brennan, who started as a sales associate at a Sears store in Wisconsin and rose to become chairman and CEO of Sears, Roebuck and Co. in the mid-1980s, has died at age 73.

Brennan, who later took over as board chairman at American Airlines parent AMR Corp. when previous chairman Donald Carty was forced out amid financial and labor tumult, died Thursday night at his home in suburban Burr Ridge after a brief illness.

He was the third generation of his family to work for the company. His grandfather worked with founder Richard Sears and his father, four uncles and a brother all worked as Sears buyers.

In January 1981 he was elected chairman and chief executive officer of the company’s retail group and helped handle the acquisition of Dean Witter Reynolds Inc. and Coldwell, Banker & Co.

In 1986 he became chairman of the board and chief executive officer. The company that year launched its Discover Card, claiming 12 million holders by year’s end. Brennan retired from Sears in 1995.

Dakar, Senegal

S. S. Mbacke, spiritual leader

Serigne Saliou Mbacke, Senegal’s spiritual leader whose image was ever-present in the homes of his millions of followers, has died. He was 92.

Four million people – nearly a third of the West African country’s population – were expected to make a pilgrimage to Mbacke’s grave over the weekend.

Mbacke was the leader of the Mourides, the most powerful Muslim brotherhood in Senegal. He died Friday and was buried Saturday. Senegal’s President Abdoulaye Wade called for a three-day national period of mourning.

Although Senegal is a secular country, the majority of its democratically elected rulers have had to seek the endorsement of Mbacke. His image is always on the dashboards of bush taxis and in the homes of his millions of followers.